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A wide choice of topics covered from the dawn of history right up to present days . Many of these have a wider relevance than purely within the context of Strathearn . The author's viewpoint often is at variance with the accepted opinions espoused elsewhere eg The Jacobite Uprisings and The Reformation .

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Crossing Dalginross BridgeHogmanay - Seekin' Their Cakes In Fife
﻿ Burning The Clavie At Burghead
﻿
﻿ Hogmanay ( New Years Eve )
is an old and much celebrated occasionthroughout Scotland . The word itself however is something of a mystery . Amongst the
theories regarding its origins is that it is from the word “ Hagmena “ – a
corrupted Greek wordmeaning “ holy
month “ . Another “ learned “ school of thoughtimplies that theword isof French origin andwasbrought over with the Normans in 1066 !This latter line isbased on theold Norman word “ Haguillennes “ . To add to thegeneral confusion a third source promotes the
theory that the Hogmanay source lies in theancient Norse festivals that was celebrated at Yule time . The
nightbefore it startedwas called “ hoggin – nat “ or“ hogenat “ whichmeant the slaughter night when the
cattlewerekilled to allowthe prepararationoffoodon the great day . Confused
? – well join the club! There isno doubt that the Scottish Hogmanay and
Neerday ( New Years…

OS Map showing the area of Glen Beich in this "blog" Loch Earn from Glen Beich
﻿ I recall
about ten years ago being askedby a
lady from Ontarioin Canada to look into her Scottish
roots and in particular those of her ancestorswho hadcomefrom Glen Beich near Lochearnhead . At that
time I was totallyignorantof the significanceof this , one of the most beautiful and
unheraldedparts of the Strath . Apparentlyher familyhadbeen small crofters in a n
area of the Glen on anelevated part
above the settlement of Ardveich . Ardveich which in Gaelic is Ard-Bheathaich or “ height of the birch woods ” liesless than half a mile from the shores of Loch
Earn on the east side of the Beich Burn . On the west side was another small
settlement known as Dalveich- Dal-Bheathaich- “ the field of the birch
woods ” .It isclear that this
area had beeninhabitedfor countless generations back into the mists
of time . A castle hadbeen builtnear by and had been constructed as a
fortifiedtowerhouse for thechie…

There isan
incredibly detailedmap of Crieffdrawn up in 1822 by John Wood . Wood was a
Scottish surveyor resident in Edinburgh.
Between 1818 to 1830 he engraved 52 plans of Scottish towns, of which 48 were
published in Atlas form in 1828. He also surveyed numerous Northumberland and Durham
towns during the period 1826 and 1827. Fortunately hisworkhas beenpreservedby the National Library of Scotland in
digital form on the internet : (http://maps.nls.uk/towns/detail.cfm?id=321)
By clicking on the imageyou can increase or decrease the sizemaking itso easyto takea town tour of Crieff as it was nearly two centuriesago ! For thegenealogist / family historian withroots in the town there is an addedbonusin that the houses are
clearly delineatedwith the owner
oroccupier’sname shown . Indeed in some cases theoccupations are also listed !
An area shown with cross hatching is described as the “
Shambles ” . I had always associate…

Retired part time lecturer at Perth College and former rugby correspondent to our local paper the Strathearn Herald .Former President and a Honorary Member of Crieff & Strathearn Rugby Club. Written 4 books on the local history of Strathearn .